Ashburn Mom Enamored with Romance Novels Writes Her Own

Four years ago, a romance novel in a library caught the eye of an Ashburn mom. 

“I grabbed it and tossed it in with the pile and I devoured it within three days,” said Diana Quincy, who writes under a pen name. “I must’ve read dozens of romances and by that Fall, I said  ‘I’m going to write one of my own.’”  

Quincy completed the first draft of her historical romance novel, Seducing Charlotte, in about four months. Quincy uses a pen name because of her two sons, ages 14 and 11.

“I was worried about steamy scenes and that it would be embarrassing to my kid,” Quincy said. 

She said her husband first encouraged her to start writing fiction, a turn from the writing style she uses in her part-time job as journalist with NBC-4 Washington.

Quincy would be watching TV with her husband and she would criticize the storylines. 

“And he said ‘Maybe you should write," Quincy said. "He believed in me long before I believed in myself." 

After being a finalist in some local and national literary contests, she was able to secure an agent.

“It took me a year and a half to sell the book,” Quincy said. “The market for historical waxes and wanes. Historicals aren’t as popular as contemporaries right now.”

She said that there was nothing like the thrill of getting her first novel published.

“I didn’t know how the readers would respond, and that has been the most exciting part,” Quincy said. “People ask 'When the next book coming out?'...It’s a validation after several years of hard work.”

When people hear that she writes romance novels, the response is supportive for the most part.

“People are always very interested, they think it’s very cool. Some people make jokes,” Quincy said. “A woman I work with says ‘You are so reserved and quiet and ladylike, and it’s hard to think of you writing steamy scenes.’”

Her next book, Tempting Bella, is set to be released in September. Get updates on dianaquincy.com.